Bill > HB1573

This bill amends the Human Services Code to improve child welfare services and juvenile justice practices in Pennsylvania. The bill establishes new purposes for child welfare services, emphasizing child protection, family preservation, and rehabilitation. Specifically, it requires the state department to conduct a tri-annual inventory of delinquency programs across counties and publicly share the results. The bill prioritizes keeping families together, using non-placement services to prevent child abuse, and preferring kinship care or family foster care over institutional placements. For delinquent children, the bill focuses on community-based services, in-home interventions, and ensuring placements are as short as possible while supporting rehabilitation. The legislation also mandates the creation of a public data dashboard that will provide real-time information about juvenile placements, including population demographics, facility capacity, staffing ratios, programming, and average length of stay. Additionally, the bill requires the collection and public dissemination of statistics about placement instability, such as admission rejections, removals, and length of stay, to help develop more comprehensive juvenile justice policies. The changes aim to prioritize child safety, family unity, community rehabilitation, and transparency in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems.

Budget and Finance, Education, Health and Social Services

https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billinfo/bill_history.cfm?syear=2025&sind=0&body=H&type=B&bn=1573